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The Giants gf 
Lilliputania 



An Animated Fairy Tale 



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The Giants of Lilliputania 

AN ANIMATED FAIRY TALE 

BY WILL PENTE 

( ^ T 

CHICAGO 

Copyright, 1916 

All Dramatic and Photo-Play Rights 
Reserved by the Author 



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! EB 24 1916 
©CI.A425877 



Giants §f 

Lilliputania 

AN ANIMATED FAIRY TALE 

BY WILL PENTE 



CHAPTER I. 



LILLIPUTANIA THE PEACEFUL COUNTRY 

ONCE upon a time, not so many, many years 
ago, there was a great big prosperous coun- 
try named "Lilliputania." This country was 
not big according to your ideas or mine, for 
entire "Lilliputania" was no larger than your Dining 
Room. The diligent and peace loving people who lived 
in this country in absolute harmony were called Lilli- 
putanians. They were kind, industrious and very hon- 
est. Indeed, so clever were these little people that it is 
thought the first high office building ever constructed was 
built by them and, when I tell you that not one of these 
wonderful people was bigger than mother's thimble, you 
will wonder how they ever could have done it. 

A beautiful river flowed through their country, and 
on the banks of this stream the Lilliputanians built a 
fine city, which was the Capitol of Lilliputania. I made 
a life size model of this city from the description 
given me as near as I can picture it in my mind. I have 
tried to reproduce it faithfully, even to the advertise- 
ments on the buildings and the billboards, so you will 
understand how thoroughly progressive and clever these 
Lilliputanians were. 

You probably will wonder how I, who have never 
seen Lilliputania, could do this. That will have to re- 
main my secret for I have given a solemn promise to a 
descendant of these tiny people never to tell anyone 
from whom I got this information, his whereabouts, or 
the location of Lilliputania; and of course no one who 
wants to keep all his friends will ever break a promise. 

I will not attempt at this time to tell you the entire 
history of Lilliputania. I may do that some other day 



THE GIANTS OF LILLIPUTANIA 

AN ANIMATED FAIRY TALE 

if you care to hear it. This tale concerns what very 
likely was the End of Liiliputania — although I am not 
sure that Liiliputania is no more. 

Liiliputania at one time was thickly populated, and 
scattered thruout the land were a number of large cities. 
In the Capitol, which was the finest city, there were a 
great many fine stores and factories and as near as I 
can judge about 150,000 Lilliputanians. These thrifty 
people, you will notice, had a fine Bank Building. I am 
told the vaults were filled with gold and precious stones 

Even the children would bring their pennies to this 
bank, for according to the law in Liiliputania everyone 
must save some money every year, no matter how lit- 
tle. Children thus in early life soon acquired the sav- 
ings habit and nobody was poor or ever in distress. 

The schoolhouse was a building to be proud of — the 
rooms were clean and airy, and so built that all the chil- 
dren could be dismissed in a very few minutes if neces- 
sary. 

All the streets of the Capitol were paved, and kept 
as clean as snow. It was everyone's business to help 
Mayor Frickleschnitz and Chief Dulin enforce the law. 
If anyone would forget the rules made by the Mayor 
and throw paper on the street or allow rubbish to col- 
lect, someone would step up and say, "Pardon me, my 
friend — is this your paper? What shall I do with it?" 
or, "Excuse me, John, but I know you are very busy 
these days — let me help you take care of this rubbish." 
This was a polite reminder. It wasn't necessary to 
do this often, for Lilliputanians loved each other just 
like you love your brother and sister, and avoided being 
careless. This made life very pleasant for all the Lilli- 
putanians. 

I think you will learn from this tale how much trouble 
we make for others as well as ourselves when we plan 
and act only with a selfish motive. 




THE GIANTS OF LILLIP U T ANI A 

AN ANIMATED FAIRY TALE 



CHAPTER II. 



GENERAL DIS SATISFACTION THE 
TROUBLE MAKER 

Lilliputania must have been a delightful place to live 
in. Fear was something unknown — not even the tiniest 
Lilliputanian was ever afraid. All were truthful and hon- 
est and loving. I say all, but there was one — just one Lil- 
liputanian who was a little different from the others. 
His name was General Dis Satisfaction. He was a 
kindly gentleman in spite of his funny name. No one 
knew just how old he was or why he was called Gen- 
eral. Loving one another as they did the Lilliputanians 
never had had any use for soldiers and even the Police 
Chief, who was the whole Police Department, said the 
only need of a policeman, was to keep the children on 
the sidewalk when they were down town and to keep 
the dogs and cats from disturbing people at night. 

Old General Dis Satisfaction, whenever anyone would 
listen to him, would tell some singular stories. One day 
he stepped into John Lung's Chinese laundry with his 
little package of collars and shirts. "John," said the 
General, "how would you like to wash and iron a 
shirt as big as this building?" John almost dropped 
the hot iron on his foot and looked at the General with 
astonished eyes. "General sure gone daisy!" thought 
John. Who ever saw a shirt as bi* as a house ! When 
John had recovered his breath he told the General that 
he didn't think he would be able to handle so big a shirt 
unless the General brought in a little piece at a time. The 
General chuckled to himself and left John wondering 
what was wrong. 

The next morning when John went to get his bread 
and rolls from Dave Dough, the baker, he told Dave what 
the General had said. This confirmed the baker's sus- 
picions, for the General had just left after remarking 
that some day Dave Dough would have to bake him a 
loaf that would take one thousand barrels of flour. One 
thousand barrels ! Why, he wouldn't use that many bar- 
rels in a hundred years. The General sure was talking 
queer. 

General Dis Satisfaction, however, kept right on 
smiling a wise little smile. "If Lilliputania only knew," 
said he, "just wait, some day I will astonish this coun- 
try—some dajr I will go to sleep and wake up the big- 
gest man in the whole world, and then they will know 
what I was driving at." The General lived in the yellow 



THE GIANTS OF LILLIPUTANIA 

AN ANIMATED FAIRY TALE 

house with the blue roof on Fountain Lane Street. He 
had fitted up one of the rooms in his quaint little home 
with dozens of bottles until it looked like a drug store. 
A number of tubs and kettles were scattered about, for 
the general was constantly stewing and brewing. He had 
come to the conclusion that there was some unknown rea- 
son why people stopped growing—babies grew to be chil- 
dren, and children grew to be young men and young 
ladies, and then grew to be men and women, and — well, 
then they stopped growing. "Why stop?" thought the 
General. Seeds grew to be plants, plants became sap- 
lings, and saplings became trees, some as tall as their 
highest buildings. Only the Lilliputanians stopped 
growing. Surely there was something in the ground 
which made the saplings grow. If he only could find 
out what this something was. He discussed it with 
Professor Pluss, the Principal of the School — the worthy 
master mi.^ht be able to help him solve the problem, 
thought the General. The Professor laughed at him. 
This grieved the General sorely, in fact he became real 
angry. 

The Professor loved old Gen. Dis Satisfaction just 
like he loved the school children in his big school. He 
tried to reason with him. Told him that he had better 
leave well enough alone. "Why," said he, "you have 
everything you need — all Lilliputanians are your friends, 
there is plenty of work, more good food than you can 
eat, you've good health and a fine home — you ought to 
be the happiest man in Lilliputania." "But, Professor," 
said the General, "why do we stop growing?" "Why do 
we grow until we are twenty-one and then stop? Surely 
there must be a reason." The Professor was lost in deep 
thought. Somewhere in the library was a book he had 
read when in college — a book that told about a country 
where there were immense giants — men so big that they 
might lift the biggest buildings in their fair city like Mr. 
Bull, the Butcher, could lift a side of beef. He had 
often wondered if there really was such a country. Per- 
haps the General had been reading that book. He re- 
membered now that it was a fairy book. Surely that 
was the answer. The General had been reading it and 
had lost his mind. The Professor, taking this for grant- 
ed, tried to reason with the General. He told him that 
this book was a fairy story for little children, and that an 
old man like him ought to know better. The General 
had not read the book and thought Professor Pluss was 
making fun of him. It made him furious and he vowed 
then and there that Professors, Bakers, Chinamen and 
everyone who had laughed at him would some day learn 
that General Dis Satisfaction was not one to be trifled 
with. 



THE GIANTS OF LILLIPU T ANI A 

AN ANIMATED FAIRY TALE 



CHAPTER III. 



THE GENERAL FINDS THE MAGIC FOOD 

General Dis Satisfaction straightaway marched off to 
the hardware store, which you will notice at the South 
East corner of City Hall Square, and bought a bright new 
spade. With the spade under his arm he took the first 
Main Street car that came along and rode to the end of the 
line ; there he got off and walked towards the hill that you 
will notice near the horizon on your right. On the top of 
this hill was the tallest tree in Lilliputania. "I am going 
to find out what made this tree grow so big," said the Gen- 
eral to himself, "even if it takes a year." He started to 
dig. For days and days he dug and dug. Every night 
he would reach home tired out. He kept at it, however, 
until his poor wife was almost beside herself with worry. 
When the General came home at night, his little tiger 
cat, "Bell Boy," would rub his back against the Gen- 
eral's legs and purr, as much as to say, "Where have you 
been all day, General?" The little old man was very 
fond of "Bell Boy"— "at least," thought he, " 'Bell Boy' 
does not believe that I am losing my mind," and he 
would give him a big dish of nice warm milk. "Bell 
Boy" would lap up his milk, after which he would meow 
and meow, which meant, "I want to take a walk and call 
on a few friends"— so the General would say "Good 
night" to "Bell Boy" and let him out. 

The General had been digging and digging at the 
roots or the tall tree for many weeks until he had made 
a very deep hole. He had resolved that at the very 
deepest root he would surely find that wonderful some- 
thing that made trees grow so big. Once he thought he 
had found it. It proved, however, to be a new metal ; no 
one had ever seen anything like it before. It probably 
was what we today call Radium. Every time the Gen- 
eral found something that looked strange to him he 
would eat a very little piece in hopes that tomorrow he 
would wake up twice as big as he had been the day be- 
fore and in a short time grow as tall as the tree under 
which he was constantly digging. Every morning he 
would wake up still little Gen. Dis Satisfaction. 

One gloomy, dismal day, his spade struck a very 
singular powdery soil. There seemed to be a good sized 
pocket of it. It was so soft and fine that it flew all 
about him like the flour in mother's flour bin when you 
blow at it. *As the General breathed in this dust^his 
throat became dry and his tongue seemed to swell. "3y 
the Beard of the Prophets," almost screamed the General, 



THE GIANTS OF LILLIPUTANIA 

AN ANIMATED FAIRY TALE 

"this powder must be what I am looking for." He hasti- 
ly filled a sack and his coat pockets. "Hurrah!" he 
shouted. "I've got it at last. Now I will show Lilli- 
putania who Gen. Dis Satisfaction is." 

He hastened home and found Bell Boy, the tiger 
cat, in spite of the late hour, waiting for him as usual. 
"Bell Boy," cried the General, "y° u won't know me to- 
morrow!'" He was so excited that he forgot to feed 
"Bell Boy." The General's wife had gone to bed. What 
should he do? Should he awaken the good wife and tell 
her the news? If this fine flour-like substance was 
what made the big tree grow- — if it was the wonderful 
Magic Food that he was looking for — he, Gen. Dis Sat- 
isfaction, would soon be the ruler of Lilliputania. O, 
well, he was dreadfully tired — it had been a very hard 
day. He would mix some of the Magic Food with the 
milk tonight and tomorrow morning he and his wife 
would make their breakfast of it, and then — well, tomor- 
row would tell. 



CHAPTER IV. 



"BELL BOY" IS THE FIRST VICTIM 

The General secured a big pitcher from the pantry — 
and into it he emptied all the milk he could find in 
the ice chest. How much of the Magic Food should he 
use? There was the rub — well one could learn only by 
trying. If the great big tree to grow so large and tall had 
needed only so small a quantity as he had found, he 
figured probably a cupful would be enough for himself 
and his wife, and so he mixed only a cupful of the fine 
powder into the pitcher of milk. This proved to be a 
fortunate thing for Lilliputania, as events will show. 

After the General had put the pitcher of milk, mixed 
with the Magic Food, into the ice chest he turned out the 
lights and went to bed, forgetting all about poor "Bell 
Boy," the tiger cat. Pussy meowed and meowed, won- 
dering what had come over the General and why he 
didn't get his supper. He was an especially invited 
guest at a Pussy Cats' Singing Society that night. 
"Bell Boy" was to have led the grand march at the ball 
that was to follow the singing. The General, however, 
was so tired out with his labors that day that he never 
heard "Bell Boy" — in fact, I doubt if in his excitement 
he even saw him again after the first greeting. The un- 
usual meowing of "Bell Boy" finally awoke the General's 
wife. What can be the matter, thought she. Why isn't 
"Bell Boy" outside? 



THE GIANTS OP LILLIPUTANIA 

AN ANIMATED FAIRY TALE 

She arose and found the General in his bed fast 
asleep. She could not awaken him — the General was 
completely worn out. 

The good little woman tried to get "Bell Boy" to go 
out, but "Bell Boy" decided he would rather disappoint 
his friends than go without his supper. You can hardly 
blame him for that, for it probably is rather difficult to 
sing and dance when one is real hungry. "Bell Boy" 
first purred and then meowed trying to say as plain as he 
could, "Don't I get any supper tonight?" Finally it 
dawned on the General's wife that the General had most 
likely forgotten to feed "Bell Boy." What will he for- 
get next — some day he surely will forget where he lives 
and who he is. She went to the ice chest and looked for 
the milk. She thought it strange to find it all emptied 
into the big pitcher. "It's just like the General to do 
such things," thought the good woman. "You poor boy, 
you must be hungry," said she to "Bell Boy," as she 
gave him an extra big pan full. "Bell Boy" thought it 
tasted rather bitter, but he was very thirsty as well as 
hungry — besides, he was in a big hurry to get away. 

After "Bell Boy" had finished his supper the Gen- 
eral's wife showed him to the door, hurriedly said good- 
night and hastened back to bed. General Dis Satisfac- 
tion meantime snored away unmindful of the catas- 
trophe that he had brought upon Lilliputania. 



CHAPTER V. 



"BELL BOY" CREATES A PANIC IN 
LILLIPUTANIA 

As "Bell Boy" ran up Chestnut Street, which was 
.right back of where the General lived, he suddenly 
realized that his coat of fur seemed awfully tight, his 
feet felt unusually heavy. "I guess I ate too fast and 
maybe too much," said he. He felt queer — the houses 
v/ere apparently getting smaller, the trees and lamp posts 
were like the toys the children played with. At last he 
reached the Pussy Cats' Singing Society. My! what a 
reception he got ; some of the lady cats screamed, others 
fainted, and the men cats began to spit and fuss. "What 
is the matter with you folks?" yelled "Bell Boy" at the 
top of his voice. He had by this time grown to an 
enormous siztc. He was as big as the Hub Store on City 
Hall Square, and his voice sounded as though all the 
whistles and horns in Lilliputania had been blown at 



THE GIANTS OF LILLIPUTANIA 

AN ANIMATED FAIRY TALE 

once. Not one of the Pussy Cats* Singing Society 
stopped to answer his question ; they all ran pell mell in 
every direction. Windows of houses for blocks around 
were broken, heads popped out everywhere. There was 
a fine How-do-you-do! Schnelzinger, the grocer, 
grabbed his old cornet and ran to the door, where he 
blew a blast that he thought would arouse the neighbors. 
Someone turned in a 4-11 fire alarm. Bewildered Lilli- 
putanians ran helter-skelter. Babies cried, and dogs 
whined and crawled into their huts. O ! it was a terrible 
night in Lilliputania. 

"Bell Boy" couldn't understand it at all. He knew, of 
course, that everyone and everything around him had 
shrunk in size — at least, that is the way it looked to him. 
No one seemed to know him, everyone ran from him. 
Fear heretofore had been unknown in Lilliputania. 

Gen. Dis Satisfaction still slumbered restlessly in his 
home ten blocks away dreaming that he and his wife 
were the despotic rulers of Lilliputania. 

"Bell Boy," not realizing how large and strong he 
had grown, pushed in the wall of a building or knocked 
the roofs off the nearby houses as he thoughtlessly 
switched his tail from side to side. As he looked over 
the city he caught sight of the upper floors of the Coca- 
Cola Building in City Kail Square. He had never been but 
a few blocks from home and wondered what it might be. 
"I'll see what it is," said he, as he turned down State 
Street and slowly sauntered towards town to investigate. 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE CHIEFS TO THE RESCUE 

Fire Chief Puff and Police Chief Dulin, who had re- 
sponded to the Fire alarm with the entire Department, 
caught a glimpse of "Bell Boy" as they reached Capitol 
Avenue and stopped. Both Chiefs were exceptionally 
brave men, but Chief Dulin had a peppery temperament. 
The curls were gone from the Chief's hair and the color 
from his face, but his courage had not deserted him. 
Out came Chief Dulin's whistle, one blast of which called 
every Lilliputanian within hearing to his aid. The big 
beast, the like of which no one had seen before, was a 
terrifying sight. Firearms or death dealing instruments 
were unknown in Lilliputania. Chief Dulin's mind al- 
ways worked quickly, but never before so fast as on this 
eventful night. He blew his whistle and as the brave 
Lilliputanians gathered around him, he gave orders that 

8 



THE GIANTS OF LILLIPUTANIA 

AN ANIMATED FAIRY TALE 

every man, woman and child quickly collect all the 
sticky fly paper, ropes, twine, hose and glue that they 
could lay their hands on, and bring it to the City Hall 
as fast as possible. 

Fire Chief Puff, seeing no fire, ordered the engines 
and hose carts to report at their station. Then Chief 
Dulin raced the Fire Chief's auto to Dave Dough's 
bakery, and found that worthy man in front of the 
bakery with his hands full of dough. "Dave," yelled 
Chief Dolan, "if we want to save Lilliputania there's 
no time to be lost — roll every barrel of flour you've got 
down to City Hall Square as quickly as you can." 
"Friends," he called to the crowds, who were gathered 
around with blanched faces, "pitch in and help Dave." 

The two Chiefs then rushed to the City Hall, where 
Mayor Frickleschnitz was trying to pacify the populace. 
As the Chiefs hove in sight the people shouted with joy. 
"Here's the rope!" "Here's the fly paper!" — everyone had 
something. The lookouts on top of the Wrigley Build- 
ing telephoned him that the big beast was coming down 
State Street, headed for the river. Chief Dulin immediate- 
ly ordered all those having sticky fly paper to lay the same 
sticky side up, along the wharves and streets on the 
south side water front. Those with ropes and twine 
were to hold themselves in readiness to act instantly at 
his command and be prepared to sacrifice their lives for 
Lilliputania, if necessary. Meanwhile Fire Chief Puff 
had ordered all available hose coupled and every fire 
engine going full blast. The heads of Dave Dough's 
flour barrels were hastily knocked out and the flour 
dumped into the big vacant lot on Front Street. When 
this was piled up Chief Puff ordered Company No. 37 to 
piay the hose on the mountain of flour until it was a mass 
of soft dough. You have probably noticed that cats don't 
like water or anything wet and sticky and wondered 
why, but after reading "Bell Boy's" experience you will 
understand. 



CHAPTER VIL 



THE GIANTS OF LILLIPUTANIA 

When "Bell Boy arrived at the river he saw an im- 
mense crowd of people gathered in the City Hall Square 
on the other side. He felt lonely and tired, as well as 
hungry. He recognized Chief Dulin in spite of the 
fact that the Chief looked so tiny now — the Chief 
was his friend. "Bell Boy" was bewildered and lost. He 



THE GIANTS OF LILLIPUTANIA 

AN ANIMATED FAIRY TALE 

quickly decided to jump over the stream and ask the 
Chief to take him to the General's house. He jumped 
and landed with all four feet on the sheets of sticky fly 
paper that smart Chief Dulin had had scattered about in 
Rail Road Row. "Bell Boy" was in for it now — the more 
he tried to get loose the more fly paper stuck to him. The 
people scattered. Down Rail Road Row, under the via- 
duct, into City Hall Square rolled "Bell Boy" until he 
landed plumb into the mountain of dough that Chief 
Puff had intended somehow to play on him with the fire 
hose. "Now, brothers, all together," yelled Chief 
Dulin, "the ropes, quick!" 

I was told it took only 50,000 Lilliputanians to tie 
"Bell Boy" up, but I guess after the exciting time he had 
had that night and the terribly sticky hill of soft dough 
he finally landed into that, "Bell Boy" was very near 
worn out — at any rate, he was helpless now. But what 
were the Lilliputanians to do with the Terrible Beast. 
These Lilliputanians had fertile brains! Mayor Frickle- 
schnitz ordered the carpenters and blacksmiths and the 
iron workers to construct an immense cage, which was 
built on Front Street. How they did this and got "Bell 
Boy" into it is a long story. 

You are no doubt wondering where old Gen. Dis 
Satisfaction was all this time. I don't understand either 
how he could have slept through all the excitement, but 
presume his many, many weeks' hard work and worry 
had worn him out completely. His wife had rushed 
from the house when whole Lilliputania was aroused. 
She now came home with the others. "Wait a minute," 
said the good woman to those who had accompanied 
her, "I'm sure you are all thirsty and hungry — rest your- 
selves on the lawn a few minutes until I get you some 
refreshments." In a little while she reappeared with a 
big platter of bread, cheese and the Big Pitcher of Milk 
— the same milk which had raised such havoc with "Bell 
Boy." Of course she didn't know that this was the milk 
prepared by the General with the Magic Powder; how 
could she have known? There were just 13 men, 3 
women and 6 boys and girls gathered on the lawn. All 
were hungry and thirsty after the exciting day they'd 
had. Each of the older people took a full glass of milk 
and the children but a cup full. They drank the milk 
and ate the bread and cheese, and laughed and cheered 
the general's wife as well as the Heroes of the Day — 
Chief Dulin and Chief Puff. Their noisy jubilee finally 
aroused the General, who came out to see what it was 
all about. 

The General gave one glance at the empty pitcher in 
his wife's hands and stood aghast. Buttons were be- 
ginning to pop off the tightly buttoned coats of Chief 

10 



THE GIANTS OF LILLIPUTANIA 

AN ANIMATED FAIRY TALE 

Dulin and Chief Puff, others were taking off their shoes 
which were getting too tight. This was enough for the 
general — he gave one shriek and started down the street 
— his wife after him. I can't teil you much more. The 
friend who told me about the Giants of Lilliputania says 
that one of his ancestors, who was on the General's lawn 
that historic day, didn't like milk and drank water. Those 
who drank the milk mixed with the Magic Food, in a 
very short time grew so tall that they became giants. 
WHEN THEY APPEARED ALL LILLIPUTAN- 
IANS FLED. Where they went to, what became of 
them, he would not tell me now. The General disap- 
peared. I don't think he is dead. Once in a while I 
meet people who say that General Dis Satisfaction still 
lives and that both he and his wife are roaming about 
the earth. This may be so. If you ever meet him, I 
advise you not to have anything to do with him, for I 
fear he is still trying to get control of all good people. 

I have told you now how there came to be Giants in 
Lilliputania. How they became a great nation and did 
many wonderful things, and what influence General 
Dis Satisfaction's ambition had on their lives is another 
story. 



DEEP MEANING OFT LIES 
HID IN CHILDREN'S PLAY." 

-Schiller 



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